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Topic: Stopping procardia! What to expect?? (Read 439 times)

Hey mommies!! I am new to this forum. I've been on bed rest for 7 weeks due to pre term labor at 27 weeks. I got lots of terbutaline, fluids, and procardia in hospital but that didn't help so ended up with mag drip. Finally went home at 30 weeks on procardia 30mg every 6 hours..max dose according to my doc. I stop procardia 3 weeks from today...yay!! Except I'm sooo scared because I don't know what to expect. I still contract on procardia but they are mild...moderate and regular at times. My cervix was last checked 4 weeks ago and it was 2.5cm and closed. The specialist doesn't want to check it because I always contract a lot and bleed after checks so I have no clue where I'm at now!

What was your experience coming off procardia? How soon was baby born?? I'm such a planner and then the not knowing what to expect it driving me nuts!!!

I too was on 30mg nifedipine 2x daily (Procardia) from 26 weeks to about 35 weeks due to constant contractions. I was weened off it between 34-35 weeks. I was convinced that my contractions would flair like crazy (back to every minute...) and the baby would show up immediately or my cervix would shorten. NOPE. In fact, they stayed nice and infrequent! I went back to my job as a high school VP at 37 weeks, then had a scheduled induction at 39w5d.

The cool part was that my vaginal delivery was pretty fast! I think it was all those practice contractions. From pitocen to birth was 11 hours, with only about 3 hours being in active delivery and two hours of pushing after a last-minute epideral.

I will say that my doc told me that Procardia is really just a drug to keep us comfortable. It does nothing to stop labor if it's going to come. I tried to believe that it was keeping me pregnant, but ultimately, it's just for relaxing those muscles and helping us not feel crazy. That was my experience--quitting Procardia didn't cause me to go into labor, as I anticipated! Best of luck!

I stopped my procardia at 37 weeks. At that time I was 2cm and 80% effaced. At my 38 week check up (I was 38+1) I was still only 2cm and 80%...so the doctor set an induction date for the next week. However, my little one had different plans! 14 hours after my doctors appointment, my water broke!!! It broke at 3am, I arrived to the hospital at 4am and was 7cm! Thankfully I was able to get an epidural. And at 7am we welcomed the sweetest baby girl! She weighed 8lb and 4oz. She is worth everyday of bedrest and every drop of magnesium and terbutaline I got!!! I am so in love and thankful for the doctors and nurses that took such great care of us.